Hovercraft skirt design and manufacture

A development history is presented for the skirt designs of large hovercraft, with attention to the design methodology and verification techniques employed to arrive at performance improvements over several design generations. The air flow and mechanical interactions among the various constituents of the skirt are noted for the spectrum of sea state and maneuvering conditions that are encountered by hovercraft of English Channel ferry type. The constitution of an integrated CAD/CAM design and fabrication process for hovercraft skirts is detailed.